Recently I have been bombarded with opinions of the 2012 election and frankly I can’t stand some of the things people say. I want to make it clear before I begin to continue that I don’t care whether any individual supports Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. The reason there are two sides is because United States citizens must be represented best the US is a democracy. I think that presidency is very important in a place like the US, where things are constantly modernizing and the population is so diverse. Not just diverse in race but in religion, beliefs, and wealth. Though I believe the entire population could be better represented in other forms, presidency is a great way to get people interested in politics. I think as a US citizen it is one’s duty to vote whether said individual completely sides with one of the candidates or not. This is important because everyone’s vote is equal so it is important that everyone votes so that all groups of the US are heard because we are not a homogeneous mix.
What I cannot stand is voters who do not see the impact of there vote on the country and vote for the wrong reasons. I have watched videos on Youtube of peoples reasons to vote for a certain candidate and I was blown away by how ignorant some people can. Especially considering how exposed they are to media. Some vloggers (video bloggers) said that they were voting for a candidate based on their physical attraction to a candidate. Another vlogger said she was voting for Mitt Romney because her cats name is Mitts. I think that voting must be taken with responsibility and a seriousness that will make the voter really consider who would not only benefit themselves but also the country and it’s growth. I would like people to have to write a paragraph of why they are voting and then have scholar verify whether their reasons are legitimate enough.
I think that the US is great but some people really need emphasis on educating themselves about the elections. I think that if the election was less media based then the outcome would be a better reflection of the US population.
Sources
http://www.southeastsun.com/opinion/melissa_braun/article_2f0dbb14-421a-11e1-80d5-001a4bcf6878.html
The Age of Exploration Blog 
thefederalreserve
October 16, 2012
I absolutely agree with you! Political ignorance and irresponsibility is a very big problem. I also think it tends to serve just to make people unhappier, because they fail to see that there are positives and negatives to each candidate, and instead just blindly support one for arbitrary reasons. I know a number of people who support Obama solely because of his stance gay marriage and abortion, and if you say anything about Romney around them you are automatically labeled a homophobe and an anti-feminist. I think it is really important that people get more educated about what’s going on around them so they can participate effectively in elections and our country.
You say in your post that you believe the population could be better represented in other forms… what do you think those are? I’d be interested to hear.
Great post!
Sincerely,
Jane
mfliegz28
October 19, 2012
i think you make a great point, William! Voters (and citizens in general) should definitely educate themselves about America’s political climate before they make generalized and potentially offensive statements. The videos you watched definitely make a great point- voters should make their decisions for rational reasons, not because they think a candidate is “better-looking” or more charismatic. Nice job!
carolyn2812
October 21, 2012
I agree with the points you made on the U.S. today. I am not of legal voting age yet, but I have put in the time and effort to focus on what each candidate has to say on the topics they support and oppose. I agree that people are voting for the wrong reasons and should be able to have educated reasoning behind their decision. How do you think the candidate and government can encourage citizens to focus on the important factors each candidate puts forth?
catherine1cat
October 22, 2012
Hi William! Can I just say that I think I know one of the videos you must have seen, based on the cat named Mitts (and I had about the same reaction to that video, after I finished laughing). I agree: There are some people out there with completely warped views of how to pick a presidential candidate. Despite statistics saying that people subconsciously choose candidates that present themselves with better appearances, I’d like to believe that people can pick based on the issues at hand. I’m not sure if you also meant that people shouldn’t pick candidates based on the political party they align themselves with, but if you did then I agree with that, as well. The fact of the matter is while we are a democracy, people need to vote accordingly and pick whomever they want–but for valid reasons.
– Cat